Catecholamine Quantification in Body Fluids Using Isocratic, Reverse Phase HPLC‐CoulArray Multi‐electrode Chemical Detector System: Investigation of Sensitivity, Stability, and Reproducibility

Abstract

Catecholamines (CATs) neurotransmitters regulate a number of physiological and behavioral functions. These amines are released from the nerve endings and are present in ultramicro quantities in plasma and other body fluids. For meaningful evaluation of their concentration, it is essential that the technology used for their measurement is highly sensitive, efficient, and stable. Among various methods used for their measurement, recently developed high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC‐ECD), combined with a CoulArray multielectrode detector system, is found to be the most suitable for detecting picogram concentrations of CATs in small samples of human plasma and other body fluids, as well as tissues. In this paper, we describe systematic investigations of various factors involved in contributing to the reliability and reproducibility of CATs measurement. These factors include sensitivity of detection, limits of linear relationship between concentration and the response factor, stability of the system and extracts, as well as, other factors that need to be controlled in order to achieve reliable results.

Keywords:

• Catecholamines
• HPLC‐ECD
• CoulArray

Acknowledgment

This study was supported in part by the NIH grants No. RO1 DA12792, RO1 DA13550, R01 NS41205, 1P50 CA 86966, and R01 NS43982.